NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – March 24, 2020

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has issued the following update for March 24, 2020, on the new coronavirus, COVID-19. DHHS will continue to issue COVID-19 updates each day to provide media and the public with current information about the State’s efforts.

On Tuesday, March 24, 2020, DHHS announced 7 new positive test results for COVID-19. There have now been 108 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in New Hampshire. The new cases are 6 adult males and 1 adult female. The new cases reside in Rockingham (4), Grafton (1), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (1), and Strafford (1) counties. Three of the cases have no identified risk factors. The remaining new cases have either had travel to domestic or international locations or have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. Community-based transmission has been identified in the majority of the counties in the State. Six new cases are isolated at home. One of the new cases is currently hospitalized; thus far, 13 patients out of the 108 positive cases (12%) have been hospitalized.

DHHS also issued guidance regarding potential community exposure of the coronavirus after DHHS determined that a person with COVID-19 was on the following Concord Coach Lines buses:

Any individuals who rode on one of the Concord Coach Line buses above may have been potentially exposed to the novel coronavirus and should stay at home and monitor their health for fever or respiratory illness. Any person who was on those buses and has developed symptoms should stay away from other people, and immediately contact their healthcare provider.

1Includes specimens presumptive-positive at any laboratory and those confirmed by CDC confirmatory testing. 2Includes specimens tested at the NH Public Health Laboratories (PHL), LabCorp, Quest, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and those sent to CDC prior to NH PHL testing capacity.

3Includes specimens received and awaiting testing at NH PHL. Does not include tests pending at commercial laboratories.